“Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls” banned at Tokyo Disneyland to promote “gender inclusiveness”
The traditional English language expression “Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls” is being replaced by “Hello, everyone” at Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo Disney Resort in the interests of gender inclusiveness, according to Kyodo and other Japanese media agencies.
Tokyo Disneyland and the resort have been “transitioning” the welcome announcements to be more accommodating to all guests with a more inclusive message that applies to people of all genders, Disney watchers and insiders, Inside The Magic reported.
“Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea have stopped referring to visitors as “ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls” in their English announcements, opting instead to use gender-neutral terms, operator Oriental Land Co. said Friday,” Kyodo reported.
The change was made in order for “all guests to continue enjoying their time” at the parks, an Oriental Land spokesperson said.
Among other Japanese companies, Japan Airlines Co. started using inclusive phrases in addressing passengers aboard planes and at airports in English from last October.
By changing the greeting to say “Hello Everyone,” Tokyo Disneyland Resort is no longer just limiting greetings to males and females, and instead, the theme parks are making it clear that their announcements include everyone of all genders. As the Huffington Post Japan noted, not all attractions and areas of Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo Disney Sea have fully transitioned to this new phrase, however, eventually, it will be a universal saying across both of the theme parks, the Inside The Magic report noted.
As an experienced watcher of bread and circuses, and a somewhat seasoned performer, this author would say “Hello everyone,” just doesn’t cut it as a grabber of the crowd’s attention.
And now the question begs: will other Disney properties follow suit, at home and abroad?
